First spring flowers

Yesterday we had a nice early spring day; temperatures were slightly above normal in the upper 50s here in central NJ. I took advantage of the slightly warmer temperatures and did some more work outside. So, as I was picking up more detritus in my yard, I looked at the garden near where I was working and saw that the crocus are almost ready to flower. I don’t think that it will be long now. In this garden bed, the deep purple crocus are the first to bloom, followed by the daffodils.


Then just an hour or so ago, I looked out my back window onto the garden next to our driveway and saw some more early spring flowers, chionodoxa luciliae or “glory–of–the–snow”. These bulbs with small blue flowers are also early spring bloomers. I have some more daffodils that I planted in this bed a couple of years ago along with some daffodils that were here when we arrived.

I was never much of a gardener before we moved here. We inherited some of the flowers in our gardens from the prior owners and I have planted others. Some of the shrubs that I planted did not make it. Most of the perennials and bulbs have done ok. I planted a rhododendron eighteen months ago in the front of my house that I hope will make it. Last year it had one beautiful flower. I covered it and the young holly with burlap to protect them from the cold winter winds. The young rhody has many more buds this year and I have my fingers crossed.

I am not going to win any gardening awards, but I do find peace and solace working outside in the garden. However, I am proud of the garden bed where I planted the crocus bulbs. I had to find shade loving plants that would survive the toxins from the nearby Black Walnut tree and are deer resistant. In addition to the bulbs and the existing azaleas and the peony I planted: an ornamental grass, ferns, pulmanaria, fox glove, and something else I don’t remember.

So as I wait for the deciduous trees to leaf out, I rejoice in the hope that these early spring flowers represent, the promise of more bursting forth to come.